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MUSIC REVIEW | Cutters – We Are the Quarry (2014)

In a scant 87 seconds, the opening, titular track manages ethereal tinklings, anthemic declarations, soaring guitars, rolling bass and a whole lot of energy that makes it impossible to not to get a little pumped about what this record might have to offer. Next up, Cutters and We Are the Quarry offers something more straight forward, in your face, but no less interesting in its mixing of classic punk rock, and something a little more modern and jangled in Good Morning Boys.

If a lyric could ever embody the sound of a song perfectly, it would be, “I will set this town on fire, burn this country to the ground” from Savage Nights. This explosion of a song is those words brought to musical life. Then it’s time for a breather with X-Cutioner’s Song and Excitable Liefeld. Two songs that prove that Cutters don’t need high volume and high energy to make a song highly interesting.

Sounding like it’s straight out of the only rock musical to ever make rock musicals OK, Young Gods begins the final trio closing out We Are the Quarry. While Batman 666 could be regret, it could be contemplation, it could be a bitter sweet memory, it’s a softer side of the band that makes for a great late album change up.

And when a bow is put on We Are the Quarry with I Just Wanted to Walk on the Surface Again, it’s a great summation of everything that works about this record. A tempo and delivery that could sound aggressive, if it wasn’t backed up by a more sensitive approach to rock guitar, and lyrics that always sound genuine, never forced.